Integral fame system for windows and doors

ABSTRACT

An intregral frame system, made from extruded aluminum sections ( 1 ), for fixing windows and doors of buildings, that is water tight and particularly resistant to the impact caused by storms, having tracks for window and door shutters fully integrated ( 2 ), possessing a thermal break system throughout ( 3 ) and in which all of its elements may be attached jointly to the outer wall of buildings, from the exterior, with great ease, made possible by its lateral and lower flanges.

BACKGROUND

The problem of protecting buildings and homes against storms, moreespecially hurricanes, has been an on-going problem faced by knownconstruction techniques, predominantly in certain coastal areas of theUnited States of America, that are more vulnerable to such occurrences.Doors and windows of buildings are the most susceptible elements inattempting to protect buildings against storms. This is due to the factthat their failure to provide adequate resistance to the force of theelements, will allow strong air currents to permeate which willcontribute, apart from other damages wrought, to the implosion of theedifice itself.

STATE OF THE ART

Patents cited:

-   -   U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,254    -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,270    -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,018    -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,244    -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,233    -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,849    -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,639    -   U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,642    -   U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,264    -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,430    -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,929    -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,298

The techniques currently used for doors and windows that are especiallyresistant to storms include, among others, laminated impact resistantglass, windows with impact protective systems such as accordionshutters, Bahamas shutters, colonial shutters, rolling shutters, stormpanels and plywood sheathing.

However, although all of the systems described below meet the applicablebuilding codes and especially the new laws that have come into forcealong the coastal regions of the United States of America that are mostvulnerable to hurricanes, they have several shortcomings:

-   -   1) Impact glass: when hurricane debris strikes the window, the        glass breaks but is held in place by the laminate thus avoiding        the internal pressurization which causes structural damage as        well as water intrusion from the rain. However, it is not        possible to merely replace the glass, it is necessary to remove        the entire frame which must be replaced. This also implies new        interior and exterior trim and paint. This becomes quite costly        to the consumer and to the insurance industry, which in turn        raises its premiums after houses are damages by these type of        wind storm events.    -   2) Accordion shutters: this system is placed on the outside of        the window or door opening and is manually dragged across the        opening when a hurricane threatens. The drawbacks of this system        are several: a ladder is required to close them if the home does        not have double hung windows; they are not very attractive        aesthetically, they require a great deal of maintenance and can        be very expensive, particularly when the cost of the windows        must also be included in addition to the shutter, when        calculating the total cost.    -   3) Bahamas shutters: this system, while architecturally        pleasing, has the following disadvantages: a ladder is required        to close them; they spoil the view from the windows because the        shutters are in the way; and these shutters cannot be applied        over doors.    -   4) Colonial shutters: This traditional system of shutters must        be closed from the exterior and therefore requires the use of a        ladder to affix the required protective bars. This system cannot        be applied to large openings in buildings due to the clearance        space required on the sides of the openings.    -   5) Roll down shutters: this system is the most costly although        it is also the most versatile since the shutter can be operated        inside and outside, manually or by electrical means. However,        the cost of the windows, the frame and installation are high and        not very attractive as the boxes accommodating the shutters are        located outside the building.    -   6) Storm panels: this is a system of corrugated panels that are        placed into permanently mounted tracks that are located above or        below the window or door opening. The disadvantages of these        panels are, principally, the following: they are too heavy for        the elderly to manage, they create storage issues, they require        a ladder to install and are very time consuming to put up.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The invention which is the subject of this patent application seeks toavoid the disadvantages of the systems outlined above: a) it can be usedby any age group or by the handicapped; b) it prevents waterinfiltration from seeping through the window frame due to the flangesthat are built into the system; c) the system can be fitted with alltypes of different window and door manufacturer products for newconstruction or remolding; d) it is fastened to the exterior bystainless steel screws inserted into 2×4 stud wall jacks for strength;e) includes a new thermal break system designed specifically for theintegral frame system for the temperatures indigenous to the hurricaneprone regions in the eastern coastal regions of the US; i) it is morecost effective than retrofitting an existing window in already builthomes with a new window and roll down shutter; g) it is more costeffective to install on new constructions since all that the buildershas to do is raise the header to accommodate the roll shutter box size;h) it will save money on service charges for scaffolding and laborcharges since the frame system is designed to allow access from theinside of the house; (i) it will not deteriorate from UV rays such asthe vinyl windows and are much stronger due to the frame beingmanufactured out of structural aluminum; (j) it allows homeowners,builders and property management companies to quickly close up theirhomes when threatened by a hurricane and can then evacuate the affectedregion faster, without having to lose precious minutes or hours boardingup with plywood, panels or storm shutters; (l) allows for greatersecurity from looting in the aftermath of the storm since the trackssecure the roll shutter from being removed; (m) it is aestheticallypleasing since its elements are integrated and the frame may be coveredby wood trim or other materials.

Now follows a more detailed description of the invention with referenceto the attached drawings which show the following:

FIG. 1, a view of the integral frame system with various numberedcomponents, in accordance with the description below and with the headerseparated;

FIG. 2, a magnified view of a part of the previous figure containing thealuminum sections with thermal break system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention consists of:

-   -   1) An integral frame system, for windows and doors, that is        water tight in its installation with all its elements fully        integrated (FIG. 1), so that they are attached conjointly to the        construction in question;    -   2) An inner frame in extruded aluminum (1) as deep as the walls        of the construction, to which are coupled, on the outside, the        water tight shutter tracks (2) of the window (or door), made of        aluminum with a minimum thickness of (0.18 cms) 0.07 inches to        be able to withstand the frontal impact of a storm;    -   3) The inner frame (1) possesses a thermal break system        throughout (3), which is made possible by the extruded aluminum        used to build the entire system.    -   4) The upper part or header (4) of this integral frame system        for windows and doors acts as a support for the shutter box        coupled to it.    -   5) The same frame, by means of its flanges, approximately 7.63        cms (three inches) wide (5) which are part of the same integral        system, permit the system to be affixed to the wall of the        edifice from the exterior with great ease.    -   6) A frame which allows a window or door to be attached (6) with        a thermal break system (7) in its interior, attached by means of        screws (8).    -   7) The sill (9) has a 4° angle descending outwards, which allows        for proper drainage of water.    -   8) This sill is optional in the case of doors, where the lower        flange is also removed.    -   9) The extruded aluminum sections (1) (FIG. 2) must have        sufficient space between them, where they fit together (10), to        absorb the impact caused by a storm.    -   10) The sections are also characterized by the position of the        screw grooves (11), which should, whenever possible, be rotated        in the opposite direction to the impact from the storm, or at        least, have a minimum rotation of 30° degrees in the opposite        direction to the impact (facing inwards) (12).

1) frame for mounting windows and doors in buildings, made of aluminumsections, characterized by consisting of a single block structure, madeof extruded aluminum, that is water tight and having all of itscomponents fully integrated, that is particularly resistant to storms:2) Frame, in accordance with claim 1), characterized by the inclusion inits single integrated system (1) two lateral flanges, approximately 7.63cms (three inches) wide and a minimum of 2 mm thick, and one lowerflange, except in the case of doors, approximately 7.63 cms (threeinches) wide and a minimum of 2 mm thick (5), which are attached tobuildings from the exterior, by means of screws (13), reducing therigidity that would result from interior as well as exterior attachment,providing the necessary flexibility to the entire system. 3) Frame, inaccordance with claim 1), characterized by), the inclusion in its singleintegrated system (1) the tracks for water tight shutters for windows ordoors, which must have a minimum thickness of 0.18 cms (0.07 inches), inorder to withstand the frontal impact of storms. 4) Frame, in accordancewith claim 1), characterized by, the inclusion in its single integratedsystem (1) a thermal break system throughout (3), which is made possibleby the system being made entirely from extruded aluminum. 5) Frame, inaccordance with claim 1), characterized by the aluminum sections (1)having a sufficient space between them, in the area where they fittogether, to absorb the impact caused by storms. This space functions,therefore, like a veritable “expansion joint” of the system. 6) Aluminumsections in accordance with claim 5), characterized by the respectivegrooves for the screws (11) and their position, which, in the criticalelements, must be rotated in the opposite direction to the impact of thestorm, or, rotated at least 30 degrees inwards, in the oppositedirection to the impact (12), so as to increase the strength of theentire system.